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SAS doctors
Doctors that are not in training grades and nor are they consultants or GPs. There is some variation in what SAS is understood to cover but the BMA uses the acronym to stand for Staff grade doctors, Associate Specialists and Specialty Doctors. The Staff grade and the Associate Specialist grade are now closed to new entrants.
Special arrangements
These are requests concerning arrangements on exam day such as visa, access requirements and medical issues. This includes any reasonable adjustments you may require which covers physical disability, specific learning disability or any other condition that you believe may disadvantage you.
SpR
Specialist Registrar - the title given to doctors in training who were appointed into specialist training prior to 2007. These appointments followed completion of a period as an SHO.
ST3
Specialty training posts are specific to the UK training system and do not affect applications for international trainees. They are NHS training posts in specific specialties following on from core medical training (CMT). For specialties related to internal medicine, the grade runs from ST3 (year 3 of specialty training) up to ST6 (year 6 of specialty training). Most UK trainees take the SCE when they are nearing their final year of specialty training.
Staff grade
A non-training grade, now closed to new entrants. Also see SAS doctors.
StR
Specialty Registrar - A doctor on a specialty training programme appointed since August 2007. Specialty training levels are referred to as ST1, ST2, ST3 etc and correlate to a year of full-time training.
Surrogate
In some parts of the PACES examinations, the patient’s role is played by an actor, healthcare professional or volunteer - this is a surrogate.